𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 ( 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡 )

𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

CHAPTER NINETEEN

going in blind

"what if he falls for madeline?" i lamented to maeve as we headed to ap world.

"he won't, y/n," she assured me. "he has enough self respect to know not to go for her."

"okay... well we're going to hang out on friday! it'll make up for lost one-on-one convos," i said, trying to inject some positivity into my thoughts.

"will this be your guys' first time hanging out alone?" maeve asked as we walked into class through the door, which was plagued by a portrait of mr fennel and his shiny head. i couldn't look at him the same. neither could maeve -- i had filled her in on the entire day so far with hurried words.

"yeah. i'm kind of nervous."

"it's going to be like a date!" she squealed. "i'll be with you in spirit."

i set my bag down next to me. it had been heavier ever since mrs fennel handed out the project packet. ugh -- the project. during second period, violet didn't say a word, which i appreciated, but it made me feel the absence of walker and i's banter.

i tried to push away the memories of the prior few hours. "what will you be doing on friday?"

"i'll probably be writing." her tone suggested she was hiding something.

"come on maeve, which fanfic?" i prodded.

"edward cullen x reader," she admitted, loudly and proudly enough that the whole class could probably hear. "i'm getting back into my edward era. just finished rereading breaking dawn for the fifth time."

"girl, you never left that era. it was just a few weeks ago you were screaming at the screen at that sleepover." that sleepover was the weekend before i met walker.

"anyways, after i spend some time with my vampire boyfriend, i'll be busy with one of my other boyfriends."

"i respect your multitasking. do i know this other boyfriend?"

"yes, you do, actually," she smirked.

"really? let me guess... harry styles? matthew gray gubler?" -- maeve shook her head -- "robert pattinson?"

"good guesses."

mr fennel arose from his massive desk chair. i couldn't help but wonder if it was so big because it had a built in toilet. "i'm in a bad mood today," he announced. "the only thing that could make it better if even one of you would study." oh no. i smelled bad news emitting from the stack of papers on his desk, the quiz we took the day i had the existential crisis. i couldn't even remember how i did that day.

that was until he returned them to us. since maeve's surname began with a "b," she was handed hers much before mine. she stared down at the grade paper blankly. "what did you get?" i asked cautiously.